A Reflection on the Relationship between Music and the Visual Arts, Based on the Concept of Harmonic Proportion

This article is formed by three main sections. In the first section, the relationship between music and visual arts is discussed from the viewpoint of some Muslim philosophers, suggesting that such a linkage can be considered at least in terms of theory. In the second section, the mathematical concept of harmonic proportion, dating back to Pythagoras, is introduced as one of the important proportions in determining the musical intervals, and its properties in several Islamic primary sources are discussed thereafter. In the third section, a comparison is made between perspective rules and geometric constructions of harmonic proportion, to declare the similarity between the perception principles of human eye and ear. Consequently, an example of the application of harmonic proportion in Islamic architecture and ornaments is elaborated which may propose new directions for future studies in this field